Some Things Never Change
by kaibasgirlx
Summary: This should be interesting,' she commented, taking aim. 'Toa of Water against Toa of Water. Past against future. The primitive against the advance. Well, it shouldn't be too difficult to see who the victor will be.'
1. Chapter 1

**This fic is dedicated to my best friend Sarah, for introducing me to BIONICLE, spending endless conversations with me on what can/will/could/might happen, and always being there when I needed her most.**

**Some Things Never Change**

Festive music filled the air, as the matoran of each Koro celebrated. Their hero's, the Toa Nuva, had finally defeated the Bohrok and Bohrok-Kal, the evil menaces that had shadowed their island home for so long.

Gali Nuva made her way through her hometown, waving to passing matoran, and trying to maneuver her way around all the decorations her villagers had put up. Each home was brightly lit with lanterns that had been strung up, and decorated lavishly with bells and wind chimes. They seemed wink and jingle at passersby, as if to invite them to join in the celebrations. The Toa of Water smiled; it seemed that at long last, peace had been restored. She hurried as she made her way past Gali's Bay, where a few Ga-Matoran were playing musical instruments, to the delight of others who were dancing to the lively tune. She reached the entranceway and hurried through it, not wanting to be late. After their recent victory, the Toa Nuva hadn't seen each other at all, and Onua had called a meeting.

When she reached their usual meeting spot, she saw that she was not the first one to arrive. Onua had just come in from Onu-Koro, and Kopaka was smoothly making his own entrance on an ice bridge he had created for the occasion. A few moments later, Tahu arrived, scowling at the fact that Kopaka had made it there before him, then Lewa, who glided down to them all from the air, and at last Pohatu, who took the liberty of riding a Kikanalo for the experience of it all.

"I see the Po-Matoran are up to their usual no good," Onua joked, clanking fists with the Toa of Stone.

Pohatu laughed, returning the friendly gesture. "I met this rahi on my way here and thought, 'why not take it for a joy ride'?"

Kopaka scowled as he overheard the exchange between the two Toa. Of course, trust Pohatu to take some foolish risk without thinking of the outcome. Reckless, stubborn, talkative, he was just as bad as Lewa.

"Anything you want to say, Ice Brother?" Pohatu asked, catching sight of the Ice Toa's expression.

Kopaka's scowl deepened, and he glared at the Stone Toa before answering. "I'd like to know the point of this meeting Onua has called."

At this, all eyes turned to the Toa of Earth. He didn't hesitate as he answered. "Now that we've defeated the Bohrok and Bohrok-Kal, I think we should discuss what our next step should be as Toa Nuva."

Lewa rolled his eyes impatiently. "Do you mean to say that the whole reason we had to quickleave the celebrations was to thoughtspeak about the future? Leave that up to the Ko-Matoran, they're good at that."

"Brothers, please," Gali said, trying to keep the peace, for at those words Kopaka had thrown the Air Toa a nasty glare. "Our recent victories have only made us stronger as Toa and better able to protect our villages. Our strength, though, is nothing compared to when we are-"

"-United." Tahu finished the sentence impatiently for her. "We all know, unity, duty, destiny. Right now though, there's no danger threatening Mata Nui and after our last battle, it doesn't seem like anything will."

The Toa of Water glared at him. "Those words sound very familiar," she said, doing her best to keep her voice calm. "Isn't that the same thing that was said before the Bohrok-Kal attacked? Brothers, don't you see? We must remain united! It is only then that we can possibly hope to overcome any threat and fulfill our destiny!"

"You seem to be forgetting, watersister, that when the Kal struck, they had also quicksnatched our icons. If we had our Toapowers back then, I think we could have easywon them." Lewa interjected cockily.

"Brother Lewa is right. If we would have had our powers, we probably would have been able to give them a run for their rahi." Pohatu agreed.

Evidently, some Toa had short-term memory.

"If." Kopaka said coldly. "The question now however, isn't what could have been, but what will be."

Gali looked hopefully towards the Toa of Ice, hoping she would get another ally aside from Onua, whom the other Toa didn't seem to listen to any more then they did to her.

"Personally, I find these little get-togethers a hindrance. If some enemy does come and threaten the island, we will take care of it then. Until that time, these meetings are obsolete."

Gali's hope for support died instantly. Instead, she felt anger flare up. Her brothers, her stupid, foolish, stubborn, brothers were doing what they were best at: Ignoring her. No, she was not going to stand for it this time.

"Brothers, don't you see what you're doing!" She cried angrily. "This is exactly what happened last time. We split apart! We turned away from our unity, and in doing so, turned away from our duty and destiny. We can't let history repeat itself again, who knows what will strike us this time!"

"With all due respect, our sister is right," Onua said quietly. "It's not like all the Makuta's threats have been laid to rest. The Bohrok and Kal were only some of his servants, I doubt we've heard the last of him."

"When that time comes, we'll take care of it," Tahu said, waving aside all reason and logic. "Until then, I shall be at my village."

"Agreed," said the Toa of Ice, turning around to leave.

Gali was having a feeling similar to déjà vu. She tried desperately to fight for a second time what seemed to be a losing battle. "Please brothers, just listen to me for once! We can't keep splitting apart like this! I fear that our teamwork will suffer, that one day we will grow so far apart and removed from each other we won't be able to come together when we need to! I fear that we will never truly fulfill our destiny!"

The other Toa stopped in their tracks, looking at their sister in surprise. "Gali, we just want to get back to the celebrations, that's all," Pohatu explained.

"It's not like we're purposely avoidignoring each other, we just don't have time," Lewa added.

"But we can't keep doing this!" Gali protested. "We'll go back to our villages, celebrate, and then what? Wait until some new enemy comes to see each other again?"

"You can come see me any time you like, Gali," Tahu interjected suavely.

The Toa of Water did her best to fight down the impulse to drown the Toa of Fire. Instead, she ignored him, and tried appealing to her thickheaded brothers again. "Don't you see? The more we keep doing this, the farther apart we grow! Please, I can feel it, we have to stay united!"

But for all her pleading, she may as well have banged her head against a brick wall. The other Toa had no intention of listening to her. They just kept reassuring her that nothing was going to happen, that they were still a team. Gali shot Onua an angry look, for she felt that he could at least try and help her get through to their frustrating brothers.

The Toa of Earth put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "They won't listen to me any more than they will to you," he said apologetically.

Just as the meeting was about to be adjourned, the cries and screams of petrified matoran reached their ears, followed by a huge explosion. The Toa Nuva stood still for a moment, all five of them doing their best to avoid looking at the Toa of Water.

She didn't say anything herself, but she couldn't help shooting the others, particularly Tahu, a furious look that clearly said: _"What did I tell you?"_

With a sound that could have been a snarl or a growl, the bold Toa of Fire ordered his team towards the source of the noise. What they saw was not a welcoming sight. Half the temple of Kini Nui was destroyed. Thick black smoke was billowing out, as fires licked at the protodermis structure.

Gali and Lewa immediately went into action, combining their powers to summon a fierce thunderstorm, while Onua used his power over earth to put out runaway flames. When the last of the fires had been doused, the Toa Nuva looked at their once beautiful temple, now a wreckage of smoldering ash.

"Who could have done this?" Gali asked, looking on in horror at the remains of the islands sanctuary.

"A better question would be: _why_ did they do it?" Pohatu said. "What was their motive?"

"Do you think it could have been the Makuta?" Onua asked, looking at his brothers and sister.

"It's possible." Kopaka answered, using his Kanohi Akaku to scan the premises for anything unusual.

"So we quickdefeated one danger, only to get a new one," Lewa grumbled. "First Bohrok, then Bohrok-Kal, now what? Don't we ever get a vacationbreak?"

Derisive laughter filled the air at these words. "I thought Toa didn't _need_ to rest, that protecting matoran is their _duty_."

"Who's there!" Tahu called, reaching for his magma swords. "Show yourself!"

A pair of cruel eyes shone in the darkness. "Ah, the legendary Tahu. Well do I remember reading up on you in the ancient archives. Somehow though, your brave deeds never compared to the detailed descriptions of what happened when you were in a temper."

"Who are you?" Onua asked cautiously. "Why did you come here?"

"Oh, yes, we must never forget that stalwart Toa of Earth. Always careful, always cautious, strongest of all the Toa, but couldn't even stand up to those pesky Kofo-Jaga."

"You talk too much." Kopaka said coldly. "Show yourself, and we'll settle this without words."

"Kopaka, Toa of Ice." The voice sneered. "You were quite a role model for all Ice Toa that came after you. I do believe that none of them have ever managed to achieve the level of isolation you did, but there's always hope for the ambitious."

"Enough of this!" Gali said angrily, her aqua axes at the ready. "I don't know who you are, but if you're responsible for what happened to the Temple of Kini Nui, then you're going to pay."

"Of course I will," the voice mocked. "And who's going to make me, not _you_, surely? The other Toa barely hear your voice when you try to reason with them, do you honestly think they'll take orders from a Toa of_ Water_?"

At this, Gali glanced at Tahu, and their eyes locked. Both of them seemed to remember a conversation they had not too long ago, one that seemed to echo horribly in their heads at the moment.

_"…Then we will go our separate ways again, avoiding one another's wahi, until some new threat rises to strike in the borderlands. That is the price we pay for the pride of fire and ice." _

_"Water. Water soothes and calms and lulls the spirit to sleep. You cannot understand what true power demands."_

"Toa of Water or Toa of Death, our sister's opinion holds the highest regard. There is absolutely no reason why we would not listen to her, she is wisest out of all of us." Pohatu said, looking hard into the cruel eyes of the enemy.

Gali looked away from the Fire Toa, and turned to give Pohatu a small smile, grateful that he had stood up for her.

Mocking laughter filled the air once again. "Oh yes, I'm _sure_ that water has quite a lot of value to you, Toa of Stone. I have my doubts with the Toa of Fire though, the ancient scriptures always depicted a rather stormy relationship between the two."

At these words Tahu stepped forward, his anger so great that the stone under his feet was actually beginning to melt. "Show yourself now, before I demonstrate to you personally what happens when I get mad!"

The enemy smirked. "Very well, if that is your wish."

Tahu was slightly taken aback. He did not expect this new foe to comply so quickly. Out of the shadows of the almost completely demolished temple, a cerulean figure stepped out. She had cruel blue eyes, the kind that sent a shiver down your spine, the eyes of a mercenary. She was about the same height as the Toa Nuva, but while our hero's gave off an impression of power, integrity, and honor, she gave off the impression of venality, wickedness and yes, evil.

"Who…are you?" Gali asked, looking her up and down. She looked just like a Toa, and her blue armor would mark her as a Toa of Water…but that couldn't be.

"My name is Kyera, and I am from the future. A future of which you six are long dead and gone."

"Well, there's something to be cheerhappy about," Lewa commented sarcastically. "I always wanted someone to appearcome back in time to get my autograph."

"I think someone hit their head a little too hard when playing kohlii," Pohatu said, readying his claws for a fight. "You seem to think you're from the future, and we dead. I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees the oxymoron."

Kyera smirked. "I'm not here to prove to you whether or not my story is true. I'm here for something, and I intend to get it."

"And what's that?" Kopaka asked his eyes narrowing.

"Something…that was said to have been lost. A thing of such great power, that it can undo all of history until now. Something I know you six have, and are going to give me."

"The Vahi." Finished Tahu in a hard voice.

"Very good, Toa," Kyera mocked. "It seems you aren't as dimwitted as they say you are."

"Why do you want the Vahi?" Gali asked tensely.

"Because I'm a…_collector_. It's _my_ duty to relieve others of things they don't need anymore."

"Well sorry for us to have to inform you, but the Vahi isn't something we don't wantneed anymore. You can't takehave it." Lewa answered.

"Are you sure about that?" Kyera asked, holding up in her hands the Great Mask of Time. The Toa Nuva gasped.

"Impossible!" Tahu roared. "The Vahi is with me, there's no way you could have gotten it!"

Kyera let out a mirthless laugh. "Looks like this was easier then I thought. You Toa Nuva have so much pride, that you fail to discriminate between what's real, and what isn't."

"What do you mean by that?" Onua asked, not liking the look on her mask.

"This is only a copy of Vahi, and acts as a teleportation device, as it fails to meet the same power level. It is impossible to make another Mask of Time, which is why I've traveled all the way to this primitive century. Now that I know where it is, I'll be taking it."

The Toa realized they had been tricked. Kyera hadn't known where the Vahi was, only that it was in this time era. Clearly she was cunning, and it was this, more than anything else, that drove Tahu into action. He lifted his swords and struck the ground hard. Magma, dirt, and rock exploded under the enemy's feet.

Kyera flipped out of the way of the attack, unsheathing her river sword at the same time. She landed on her feet, cat-like, then straightened up. "Is that the best you can do, Toa of Fire?" She taunted. "Perhaps I should show you how it's done?"

She raised her weapon upwards and took aim. A streak of blue light shot out from it, disappearing into the night sky. The Toa waited a few moments with bated breath, each one tense and ready to fight whatever oncoming attack.

Absolutely nothing happened.

"It looks like your weaponsword is defective," Lewa said, raising his air katana blades. "Maybe it's we who should showtell how it's done."

Kyera smirked, her eyes gleaming. "Don't get so cocky just yet, Toa of Stupidity, my powers have yet to reveal themselves."

The roar of a giant wave resounded throughout the surrounding area. The Toa Nuva turned to see a tsunami, fifty feet in height, about to crash down on them.

"Gali!" Tahu shouted, already firing flames from his sword to evaporate the water, though knowing it was futile. "We need you to stop this, _now!_"

The Toa Nuva of Water raised her aqua axes attempting to stop the monstrous wave. It was near impossible, and Gali knew it. She had never tried to control anything so large and powerful before.

"I-I can't do it!" She cried, her eyes screwed up in concentration, trying to prevent calamity from happening.

"Lewa! Summon a hurricane, or tornado, something to get rid of all this water!" Tahu yelled. "Onua, Pohatu, we need dams, barriers! Anything you can come up with! Kopaka, use your ice powers!"

All of them went into action. But neither Onua and Pohatu's barricades, Lewa's vortexes, nor Kopaka's iceblade made much of a difference. The tsunami hurtled into them, knocking them over as though they were nothing more than mere target practice. The Toa Nuva fell to the ground, utterly defeated.

Kyera walked over to Tahu's prone form, her footsteps making loud slapping noises on the pavement. "So the brave have fallen." She crooned, looking around at the Toa scattered everywhere on the ground. They looked more like shipwreck then biomechanical creatures. "Who would have thought defeating you would be so easy? The legends never mentioned that you were amateurs. It doesn't really matter in the end though, now does it? You're out of the way, and that's what counts. So I think I'll be taking what's mine."

She bent down and ripped off Tahu's Kanohi Hau Nuva. Beneath it lay the Great Mask of Time, it's surface gleaming a deep flame orange.

"This will make a very nice addition to my collection," she commented, picking it up and admiring the craftsmanship. "Well, it's been fun, but I really better get going." She waved a hand in mock goodbye, the teleportation device already activating.

"No!" Gali cried. As the Toa of Water, the tsunami only took the wind out of her, but didn't weaken her like the others. With willpower she didn't know she possessed, she somehow managed to pivot her body forward and grab onto the fake Vahi.

"What are you doing!" Kyera shrieked, but it was too late. A portal had already opened, and in moments, both Toa of Water were swallowed up. An instant later, they were gone.

"No, Gali!" Tahu cried, as he struggled to rise. The Fire Toa's shout reverberated through the air, as the other Toa simply stared on in shock.


	2. Chapter 2

**Some Things Never Change**

The night was dark, as diamond-like stars twinkled down at a blue figure lying unconscious in a thin layer of snow. Gali Nuva slowly stirred, looking around. Her first impression was that she was somewhere in Ko-Koro, the village of ice. As she took in her surroundings though, many things struck her as vaguely familiar. Those huts, yes, they had the same structure as the ones found in Ga-Koro…and that archway…and, unless her eyes were deceiving her, wasn't that Gali's Bay over there?

Her eyes roved over the familiar landmarks as realization dawned on her; she wasn't in Ko-Koro, she was looking at her very own village, the village of water. It couldn't be though; homes were empty, most of them either destroyed or just barely standing, while everywhere else was just…desolate. Who or what could have done this?

She was about to move forward, when something bright and orange caught her eye. Bending down, she picked up two objects. One was the Kanohi Vahi, the Great Mask of Time, while the other, Gali realized with a jolt, was a piece of the teleportation device. _When I grabbed onto it, it must have broken. Does this mean I've traveled in time?_

She pocketed both objects and began to walk, searching for some clue as to what time era she was in. It didn't take too long until she stumbled upon one. It was a pair of drumsticks, the kind she'd seen the matoran using that very day when she had passed them on her way to the meeting. Further investigation founded a pair of cymbals and a broken lantern. As she made her way through the archway, her feet bumped against some old and rusted bells, their jingle having an empty and hollow ring to it. Looking around, she found many such remnants of that long ago day, when the whole island was celebrating in their victory against the Bohrok and Bohrok-Kal.

Out of the corner of her eye, Gali saw something moving. She spun around, holding her aqua axes at the ready. Whoever, or whatever it was, they were standing just beyond her range of vision, using the shadows for cover.

"Who's there?" Gali called boldly. "I warn you, show yourself!"

There was a moment's hesitant pause, and then the small blue figure of a Ga-Matoran came into view, shaking from head to toe. "Please don't hurt me, I'm sorry if I was bothering you, please have mercy, I was only looking for food."

"Hahli?" Gali said in disbelief, lowering her tools. For a moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her; it couldn't be…but there was no mistaking that mask, as pitted as it was.

If the Toa Nuva of Water was having a hard time believing the matoran was one of her villagers, Hahli was having similar problems.

"T-Toa Gali?" She squeaked, looking up at her Kanohi Kaukau. "I-Is that r-really you?"

Gali nodded her head slowly. "Yes, it is me. Hahli, what has happened here? What has happened to Ga-Koro?"

"But-But it can't be you!" Hahli blurted out, ignoring the Toa's question.

"Why not?" Gali asked.

"You're dead! It can't be you, because you disappeared!"

A very tense moment followed this outburst, as Toa and matoran stared at each other in thickening silence. Gali's mind was racing; what did Hahli mean she was dead? Bending down so that she was on eye-level with the matoran, she placed her hands on her shoulders and spoke to her in a steady voice.

"Hahli, listen to me, this is _very_ _important_. I can't explain everything right now, but I need to know how much time passed since I…died." The Toa of Water felt very strange saying the last word.

"I-I don't know," Hahli stuttered, looking uncertainly at the guardian of her village. "T-Two-thousand years maybe?"

Gali straightened up. She didn't need to hear anymore; she had to find her brothers. "Can you take me to the other Toa?"

Hahli looked at her sadly. "I don't know where the other Toa are. I only know of Toa Onua's location."

"Take me there."

Obediently, Hahli led her to the underground tunnels of Onu-Koro. They walked together in silence, both absorbed in their own thoughts. As she looked around, Gali realized that it wasn't only her village that had been devastated. The same story had happened with Onua's village as well.

"Here we are," Hahli said quietly, stopping at a large iron door. "Should I wait for you, Toa Gali?"

"No, you go, I'll be fine." The Toa of Water steeled herself for whatever she might find. Two thousand years had passed since she had last known the Toa of Earth. Would he still be the same, or had he changed? Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the door.

The room was small with only a single lightstone giving any relief to the darkness, a typical Onu-korin style. Gali walked inside, the stillness of the place pressing against her ears, her heart beat sounding a hundred times louder in this unnerving silence.

"Onua?" She called. Her own echo responded. She waited a few moments and then tried again; still no reply. On her third try, she was getting desperate. "Onua, please, if you're in here, answer me!"

At last, from a corner of the room, a deep raspy voice called out, "who goes there?"

The Toa of Water ran over and embraced him, as her eyes finally located him sitting hunchbacked in a chair outside the pool of light. "Onua, is it really you?" She asked, pulling away, for he was definitely not the same as she remembered. His mask was full of scars, his once proud stance seemed broken, and his eyes, those warm, sensitive green eyes, seemed to have lost their glow.

"Gali? Is that really you?" Onua asked, his hands feeling her mask. Same old Kanohi Kaukau; the Earth Toa smiled.

"Yes, it's me. Onua, what has happened to you? What has happened to Mata Nui?"

Onua heaved a sigh so that the scars on his mask seemed to deepen. "A lot of things have changed since you disappeared, Gali, a lot of things have changed. Many of which you won't like."

"We can fix that though!" Gali exclaimed. "Kyera, she didn't get the Vahi, I have it, and her teleportation device is broken, see?" She held up the broken piece of the fake Vahi.

Onua looked thoughtful as he put out a hand, feeling the jagged edges where it had snapped in two. "Kyera wanted to go five thousand years into the future, looks like you stopped her at two thousand." He smiled warmly at her.

"So will you help me?" Gali asked, already walking to the door, expecting him to follow.

"No."

The Toa of Water stopped and stared.

Onua sighed again. "I would be of no use to you, only a burden."

"What do you mean?" Gali exclaimed. "Onua, if there's any hope of restoring the future to what it should be, we have to stick together! Unity-"

"-Duty, Destiny." Onua smiled. "I haven't forgotten sister, even after all this time."

"Then why won't you help me?" She demanded.

"Gali," the Earth Toa said softly. "I'm blind."

The Toa Nuva of Water left Onu-Koro, making her way steadily to Le-Wahi, all the while replaying the last part of her conversation with Onua in her mind.

_"After you left, we tried to stay united as a team, but we just…fell apart. Tahu and Kopaka kept arguing with each other, and while the rest of us tried to keep the peace, we could tell it wasn't working. So in the end we split up, each of us deciding to protect our own Koro and avoiding one another's at the same time."_

_"What about Ga-Koro?"_

_"We protected it as best we could, but you weren't there Gali, and for some reason, without you, we couldn't stick together."_

_"So where are our brothers now? Do you know?"_

_"I could tell you where Lewa and Pohatu are. Kopaka shouldn't be too difficult to track down either. Just check out the most deserted spot on Mount Ihu."_

_"And…Tahu?"_

_"Haven't heard from him since the team split up."_

_"What about the Turaga?"_

_"Dead. Died centuries ago."_

Gali walked silently through the frozen marshes of Le-Koro, pondering what her next step should be. She needed to get back to her own time, and she couldn't do it alone. She needed her brother's help. They had to find Kyera, get the other half of the fake Vahi, and somehow, set things right again.

All thoughts of tracking down the other Toa of Water however, were immediately chased away as Gali arrived at the center of the jungle where Lewa's village was located. Everything, like in Ga-Koro, was covered with a thin layer of snow. A cold dread seemed to fill her as she looked around at the empty huts. All of them were standing intact, but not a single soul was to be found. The silence was like a graveyard; still, unmoving, _dead_.

Gali couldn't stand the sight anymore, not when she remembered how this was once the liveliest Koro in all the land. She turned away from the depressing sight, focusing instead on finding the Toa of Air. To her surprise, she tracked him down quite easily. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against the base of a tree, carving something out of stone. It was only when she got a little closer that she realized he was substituting one of his air katana blades in place of a carver's knife.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't sculpting what the Po-Matoran do?"

Lewa looked up, startled. "Gali! Is that you!" He exclaimed, his eyes going wide.

The Toa of Water nodded her head, trying and failing to smile, as she looked more closely at her friend. True, his mask hadn't changed much in the past two millennia, but there was something, she couldn't quite place her finger on what it was, that made him different from the Lewa of two thousand years ago.

"Mata Nui!" The Air Toa exclaimed, jumping up and letting everything fall to the ground with a crash as he embraced her. "It really _is_ you!"

"Lewa, what happened? What happened to your village, to my village, to the entire island?" Gali asked quietly, pulling away.

The Air Toa gave a sigh as he leaned against the base of a tree. "It's a sorrybad tale, watersister."

"Please, Lewa, I have to know. Tell me."

The Air Toa looked uncomfortable and shifted his gaze so he wouldn't have to look at her, trying to give his response as quickly as possible. "When you awaydisappeared, we tried to protectsave the island without you. Didn't work. New enemy, new times. Without you, we never stood a chance."

"What happened to all the matoran?"

"Quickfled the island. Didn't get far, and got captured. Now they're prisonslaves, work from lightdawn to darknight."

"What about you? What about the other Toa? Aren't they trying to capture you as well?"

Lewa shrugged. "We don't bother them, they don't bother us."

Gali stared, dumbstruck. Then the shock wore off and anger blazed in her eyes. "How can you say that Lewa! How can you stand here, while countless matoran are being forced to labor day and night!"

Lewa didn't answer, nor did he look at her. He resettled himself on the ground, picked up the rock he had been working on before, his air katana blade which he had dropped, and resumed his carving.

The Toa of Water was steadily running out of patience. "Lewa, regardless of what happened, we can fix it! We can free the matoran and change the future! Kyera didn't make it to the time era she wanted to get to; she only made it as far as here! I have the Vahi, and look!" She held up the broken piece of the teleportation device. "All we have to do is get the other half from her, and we'll be able to change our destiny!"

"Good luck then, watersister, and may the Great Beings be with you." Lewa answered, not looking at her.

At this, Gali exploded. "WHAT! Aren't you going to help me!"

"I can't, Gali."

"You're a Toa, we're a team, and we have to stick together! The only way we can ever be strong is when we're united, history has already proven that!"

Lewa slowly shook his head. "Time passed, things changed, I'm no longer a Toa."

"What do you-"

"I made a heartpromise, Gali," he said, looking up at her at last. "So long as I livebreathe, I'll never use my Toapowers again."

The Toa Nuva of Water said nothing. She stared at him for a moment, trying to find something to say, but nothing came. In the end, she turned away, and began walking in the direction of Po-Koro.

It was only after she had passed over the border between the village of air and stone, that she stopped to reflect on what had just transpired.

What happened to the island she loved, to the villages she helped protect, to her very own brothers?

"_Time passed, things changed, I'm no longer a Toa."_

_Change_. That was the key word. So far, a lot of things had changed, and the more Gali was seeing, the worse everything seemed to get.


	3. Chapter 3

**Some Things Never Change**

The night wore on, as a lone being, intent on changing the future, made her way through the village of stone. As with the other Koro's, everything was deserted. A gust of wind blew particles of sand and rock through the air, as somewhere in the distance, a rahi let out a howl.

Somehow, despite the doom and gloom, Gali persevered. She had to find Pohatu, she had to get him to join her, and she had to get back to her own time era.

"Work faster you curs! Stop slacking off the job!"

The sharp crack of a whip followed the harsh voice. Gali stopped moving for a minute, trying to determine whether it was her imagination, or if the voice was real.

"These carvings have to be done by tomorrow morning, all eight hundred of them, and if that means no food or sleep for any of you, than that's what we'll do!"

As quietly as she could, the Toa Nuva of Water followed the voice until she came to the sculpting fields. Crouched behind a large rock, she gazed upon a sight that drove her into a rage.

Standing near a group of assorted matoran was a tall figure with a whip in his hand. As she watched, one of them, a Ko-Matoran at that, fell to his knees out of fatigue. Without hesitation, the figure marched over, lifted the unfortunate victim, and slammed him against the half finished stone column.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! DIDN'T I JUST SAY THAT THESE CARVINGS HAVE TO BE FINISHED BY DAWN! I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CONQUEROR BOTHERS TO KEEP VERMIN LIKE YOU ALIVE, BUT I DEFINITELY WON'T IF YOU TAKE ANOTHER VACATION LIKE THIS! ONE LESS MONGREL TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH WON'T BOTHER HIM AT ALL!"

With that, the being threw the matoran who landed in a crumpled heap a few bios away, and glared at the others who were all staring.

"WELL! GET BACK TO WORK!"

A few lashes with the whip ensured they got the message. Gali felt herself let go as blind fury took over. Whoever this was, she wasn't going to stand here and let him enslave the matoran like that! Coming out of her hideout, she raised her aqua axes; two powerful jets of water exploded from them, knocking the figure off his feet.

He tried to rise, but couldn't, as Gali's powerful jets pinned him down.

"No! Stop! I can't stand water! Stop it!" The cries belonged to none other then the one who was tormenting the matoran moments before.

"Stop it you say!" Gali spat in anger. Without even realizing what she was doing, she caused a geyser to erupt right under the enemy. He was lifted high into the air, bouncing up and down, all the while screaming to be put down. Never before had the Toa Nuva of Water been so in control of her powers, so able to command every droplet of moisture as she did now. It was something that should have frightened her, but it did not.

"Oh, so you want to be put down, is that it?" Gali shouted. With a movement of her hand, the waters ceased, and the being fell to the ground in a heap, not unlike the matoran he had thrown only a few minutes earlier. Before he could recuperate, another jet of water hit him, knocking his mask off. With supreme command of her element, Gali summoned a tendril of water to retrieve the mask and bring it to her. "I think I'll take this," she said spitefully. "At least now you won't-won't be able to…"

She stopped short as she looked down at the mask. Shock and incredulity registered on her face. The spiked edges, the color, the shape…it wasn't just a mask, she was looking at Kanohi Kakama Nuva, the Great Mask of Speed.

_No, this can't be,_ Gali thought, as, against her will, she glanced at the figure lying bedraggled on the ground, and then back at the mask. _It has to be a mistake, that isn't…it can't be…this mask doesn't belong to…_

A sound to her right caught her attention. Slowly, she turned to face the matoran who were standing huddled together. Some were helping the fallen Ko-Matoran, the rest of them were staring at her in fright, causing Gali to wince as she thought of what she must have looked like to them.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to harm you," she said as gently as she could. "I'm a Toa, and I'm here to help you."

One matoran, a Le-Matoran at that, stepped forward. "Why should we trustbelieve you?" he sneered. "He was a Toahero also, and he turned out to be no better."

Gali felt like a hand was gripping her insides and squeezing hard. With difficulty, she managed to find her voice. "What do you mean he was a Toa?"

"He was a Toa alright," a Ga-Matoran spoke up. "And some odd thousand years ago, before the Conqueror came, he used to protect this very village, and the rest of the island, a Toa Nuva he was."

"Did you say-did you say Toa Nuva?" Gali did her best to control her emotions, as the vice-like grip tightened.

"What does it matter to you anyway?" A gruff-looking Onu-Matoran said. "Yeah, he was a Toa Nuva, if you even know what that is. Pohatu was what used to be his name. Patron of kohlii was what they had dubbed him back then. Now he's just the patron of evil, goes by the name of Tenedin."

"I used to look up to him," another from the group said. "Used to want to be just like him, he was so kind."

"So what are you?" A Ta-Matoran shot at her. "Some old rival, come to finish him off? Or are you claiming to be some hero, going to free us all? You won't get far; no one's ever managed to have a one-on-one battle with the Conqueror himself. None ever got passed his minions, that's how strong they are. I know Toa Kopaka had tried, paid the price for it too."

There was a murmur of agreement around the group, as all of them stared at the Toa of Water, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Aw screw this!" Another Ta-Matoran cut in, turning back to the half-finished pillar. "Let's go, this one's a fake. Look, she's just standing there, she's no savior, it was probably some fluke she was able to defeat Tenedin! We better get back to work before the reinforcements come, otherwise, we're going to be in even bigger trouble."

Another murmur ran through the group, as all of them turned their backs on the Toa of Water and resumed their labor. Gali stood there, stunned, trying to register what the matoran had revealed to her. Her brother. She had just attacked and almost killed her own brother. Slowly, ever slowly, she looked down at the mask, then, pushing herself forward, walked over to where Pohatu or "Tenedin" now lay.

His eyes were closed, but his heartlight was still there, glowing faintly. She gently placed the mask over his face again, and then stood there, watching and waiting. After a few moments, the former Toa of Stone began to stir.

"Pohatu?" She called, trying to control the quaver in her voice.

He didn't respond immediately. After calling him twice though, he finally cracked one eye open and turned to face her.

"Who dares call me that?"

Gali was taken aback. "What do you mean, Pohatu, it's me, Gali!"

If she had been expecting some emotional response, the Toa of Water was doomed for disappointed.

"Gali?" He let out a mirthless laugh. "Gali is dead, or did you forget to look that up before you decided to invade on my territory? And the name isn't Pohatu anymore, it's Tenedin. So why are you helping me if you just tried to get rid of me? Where did all that, "righteous anger" go?"

"It's really me Pohatu, please, I'm not dead, look!"

"Hmph. I may have a fear of drowning, but I'm not stupid. Gali disappeared two thousand years ago. No one has heard nor seen of her since. Sure you might look like her, but I'm not about to believe you without solid proof."

"Then here, is this proof enough for you!" Gali said, shoving the Vahi into his hands.

For a moment he looked startled as he stared down at the intricately carved mask, it's bright orange surface gleaming. Then he looked up at the Toa Nuva of Water, recognizing the familiar Kanohi Kaukau Nuva, and the bright eyes glowing behind it.

"It can't be you," he whispered, "it's been at least two millennia."

Gali took back the Vahi, explaining. "When I attacked Kyera, I broke her transporter. We both traveled in time, but instead of reaching her destination, we ended up here." She looked at her brother Toa, and then turned away sadly. "I came here in search of Pohatu Nuva, hoping, that out of all my brothers, he would agree to aid me in a quest to change this future. Instead I found Tenedin, a stranger I do not know."

She turned to go, but the Stone Toa called after her. "Gali, wait!"

She stopped walking as he caught up to her. "Please, Gali, listen to me."

"Why Pohatu!" She burst out, turning to face him at last, the hurt and anger evident in her voice. "Why did you betray us all! How could you join the darkness and swear your allegiance to someone who wants to destroy everything we tried so hard to protect! How could you turn your back on the three virtues, on the honor of Toa!"

"I had no choice!"

"You did have a choice, there's always a choice. It was only your decision to become evil that drove you to see no other option!"

"You don't understand Gali, you weren't there!" Pohatu let out a frustrated sigh. "Just…hear me out, okay? After you disappeared, things fell apart! A rift began to grow between us Toa; we all blamed each other for what happened to you, we all accused one another for not doing something to save you. In truth, it really wasn't anyone's fault, and at the same time, it was. That's what made us start to fracture, we couldn't admit to it. We all carried the guilt, and we all carried the blame, no matter how much we tried to acquit ourselves; it was almost unbearable. Finally, we decided to split up, making the decision to protect our own village, and if the need arises, each other's; as far as keeping in touch though, that was a thing of the past. There were to be no more meetings from then on.

"Well, guess what? A new enemy arrived on the shores of Mata Nui, one who wasted no time in attacking. He called himself "The Conqueror" and we learned why soon enough. Within days he had joined forces with the Makuta, and the two of them set about casting the island into darkness."

There was a pause for a moment, then the Stone Toa continued in a somber voice.

"If the story would have ended there, maybe there would still be a reason to hope. But it gets worse, much worse. The Conqueror, he wasn't satisfied with having to share the thrown with the Master of Shadows anymore then Makuta wanted to share it with him. Both were plotting on how to get rid of the other, it was only a matter of who would strike first. The Conqueror was faster. He challenged the Makuta, and the two of them fought it out in a one on one battle. In the end, he was victorious and Makuta was destroyed.

"Now the way was cleared. The Conqueror wasted no time in making sure the matoran would never see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was he that put the spell of everlasting winter on the island, wanting despair to rule their hearts. It was he that killed the Turaga, so there should be no one to speak words of wisdom and comfort, and it was he who enslaved them, so they should never have time to think of ways to rebel."

"And you just stood there and let it all happen?" Gali's voice had an accusing note in it.

If looks could kill, then the one Pohatu gave Gail would definitely have set her on fire. "In all my years of being a Toa, I had never once stood by and watched from the sidelines. I always went straight into the heart of battle, and that time was no exception. I fought with all my strength, trying in vain to drive the enemy back. There was nothing I wouldn't have done to save my village from complete depredation. I tried everything, and I know the other Toa did too. That was our mistake. Individually we were strong, but without our unity, there wasn't a hope of winning. In the end I got captured, and was offered a choice: either die, or come and work for them..."

"So you chose to live as a traitor, rather than die as a hero." She finished for him.

"That wasn't my intention," Pohatu said slowly. "My plan had been to destroy them from the inside, but something happened along the way that made me lose sight of my goal..."

Gali didn't say anything. There really was no reason to talk; the silence in the air said it all.

"My name…" Pohatu murmured to himself. "They changed my name for me. When they did that, I became a different person, I forgot who I used to be, and that's when I started becoming like…like this," he finished, gesturing down at himself in disgust, remembering the way he had acted towards the very matoran he had sworn to protect. "Tenedin…the name means cruelty in their language. I didn't think it mattered at the time, but I guess it did."

"I wish I could say it's alright," Gali said finally, looking up at the Stone Toa. "But I can't. The only thing I can do is ask you to help me. Pohatu, we can change this future! We just need to find Tahu and Kopaka, then, _together_, we'll track down Kyera, get the other half of the transporter, and set things right again!"

Pohatu was silent for a long time, too long. The Water Toa waited as patiently as she could, trying not to pressure him. Finally, he looked up at her, and Gali already knew the answer just by looking in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

"No Pohatu, not you as well! Please, we need to be united! That is why the future is so bleak, because we aren't working as a team!"

The Toa Nuva of Stone, however, refused to assist her. It took Gali all of five minutes to realize that she wasn't getting through to him. Having tried three times to arouse her teammates, with no such luck, the Toa of Water found her temper running once more. More out of frustration then anything else, she threw her aqua axes on the ground, causing Pohatu to look up at her in surprise.

"Find then!" She said shouted. "Don't help me! Live out the rest of your life as a lay figure and go down in history as a quisling! I will find Tahu and Kopaka on my own, and if they refuse to assist me, then so be it; I will do it myself. But you, you will forever have to live with yourself, knowing that you failed your village, knowing that you failed the Great Spirit, but most of all, knowing that you failed yourself."

The words were sharp, and they stung. Silently, Pohatu bent down and picked up his sister's tools. Handing them to her, he said quietly: "No one has heard from Tahu since the team split up. As for Kopaka, I wouldn't waste my time. You won't get through to him."

"Will you show me where he is?"

"I can tell you, but I cannot come with you," he answered, not able to bring himself to look at her.

Gali nodded her head. This was the best she could possibly hope for, and she knew it.

Looking back, Gali would one day wonder how she had ever managed to make the trip up Mount Ihu. Raging winds blew down, trying to knock her over, as sleet and snow pounded against her body, so more then once she had to take cover.

She continued walking though, determined to see Kopaka, determined to rouse her teammates spirit, determined to bring the future back to what it should be, and not what it was now.

The blizzard itself was no natural occurrence either, Gali could tell. This was, without a doubt, Kopaka's handiwork, meant to keep visitors away. The fiercer the storm grew, the closer she knew she was to his hideout. In a way, all this snow made her happy, for at least she knew the Ice Toa had retained control over his powers, and hadn't made some stupid promise to never use them again, like Lewa had.

Gali caught herself. That wasn't very kind of her to say about a brother Toa. True, the fact that he refused to aid her was frustrating, but she had no right to judge him so harshly. Who knew what had happened to him in the past two millennia that had prompted him to make such a vow.

She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Straightening her mask, she looked around. At first glance it seemed like she was on an open prairie, but Gali had been a Toa long enough to know that not everything was what it seemed to be. Upon closer inspection, she spotted a cave to her left, with, most unusually, a sheet of ice covering the entrance.

For the first time since her climb, the Toa Nuva of Water smiled. This was, without a shadow of a doubt, where she would find Kopaka. Not wasting another moment, she inspected the cavern entrance, trying to figure a way in.

After giving the matter some thought, she decided the only possibility would be to melt the ice. The coating was too thick to be broken by sheer strength, and since she didn't have any fire at her disposal, the only other choice was to use her element of water.

Raising her aqua axes, she moved closer. In this temperature, if she were standing too far away, her jets of water would freeze into jets of ice before they would hit their target. Counting to three, she unleashed a powerful torrent of water that successfully hit its mark. She kept it up for about ten minutes, by which time there was a large gap in the center through which she could climb in. Once inside, she felt the temperature drop considerably.

Trying not to let the cold defeat her, the Toa Nuva of Water forged on, knowing Kopaka was, perhaps, her only hope left. When she found him though, all hope was dashed.

The Toa of Ice was facing the wall, his back to her, not even moving. It looked like he had shut down completely, though Gali thought she could still see his heartlight glowing faintly.

"Ko-Kopaka?" She called hesitantly. The Ice Toa seemed to stir. "Kopaka, it's me, Gali."

"Gali…" He repeated hazily. "Gali is dead."

"No, Kopaka, I'm here, turn around and look!"

Slowly, the Ice Toa turned his head to face her. Gali stifled a gasp. His mask…it was full of burns! The black scars stood out sharply on the white surface of his Kanohi. For a moment, her mind jumped to Tahu, for he commanded flame, but the idea was preposterous. Tahu would never hurt a brother Toa, even if it were Kopaka. No, someone else had done this to the Ice Toa.

"Gali?" Kopaka said quietly, his broken lens traveling over her face, confirming it was she.

"Yes, it's me," Gali answered, forcing a smile.

"By the Great Beings, I never thought you'd return to us." He looked down at her, almost smiling. "But you have."

"Kopaka, what happened to you? What happened to your mask?" she asked quietly, tears forming on the edges of her eyes.

The Ice Toa's features took on a dark look as he spoke in a blood curdling voice. "Who are you? Did The Conqueror send you to find me so that he may finish me off! Are you one of his servants, disguised as Gali! Thought you could trick me did you, thought you could make a mockery out of me!"

"No, Kopaka, it's me, it's really Gali!" The Water Toa's eyes went wide. What happened to him, why had he changed so suddenly?

"LIAR! You won't take me back! Never! I'm never going back to that place. If my snow and sleet didn't defeat you, I will stop you right here and now with my ice blade, so say your last words!"

Before Gali had a chance to speak, Kopaka let out a mighty blast she barely managed to dodge in time. It hit a large icicle, which became even larger then before, almost touching the ground. The distressed Toa came over and shattered it with one swipe of his blade.

"Thought you could fool me, did you, imposter? Have I shown you yet whom you are dealing with! The Toa of Ice! Yes, that's right, it's not just a name, it's who I am, and I shall defeat anyone and anything that tries to take me back to that place! You shall never bring me back…" In the midst of Kopaka's driveling, Gali managed to slip out of the cave. Just as she made it out of the hole she had melted, Kopaka spotted her and let out another enormous blast, thereby sealing the entranceway once more.

You didn't have to be an expert to see that Kopaka had gone mad. Something in the Toa's past had traumatized him, and now, he was more or less obsolete.

Feeling completely defeated, the Toa of Water began the slow descent down the mountainside, barely noticing the cold and raging windstorms. Kopaka had been her very last hope. Out of all the Toa, she had thought he would be the one who was always there. Cold, indifferent, inflexible, but always there, ready to fight to the finish. Now, there was no one to turn to, she had tried everything.

Onua was blind, Lewa incapacitated, Pohatu a traitor, Kopaka insane, and…Tahu? No one had seen nor heard of the Fire Toa since the team split up. For all she knew, he could be dead.

Gali sighed as she walked through the abandoned pathways of her homeland. Never before had she felt so much despair. Even with her rule over water, and the six Great Masks at her disposal, it was still not enough to defeat Kyera.

She took out the Vahi, staring down at it in contempt. If anything was to blame, it was this infernal mask that started it all, or more correctly, Kyera, for attempting to steal it.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Has the poor little Toa of Water lost all hope because her teammates refuse to help her? Tsk, tsk, and here I always thought you were such an optimist. I guess the scriptures are bound to record _something_ in error. Now, what do you say we finish what we started, hmmm? I do believe we have a score to settle."


	4. Chapter 4

**Some Things Never Change**

**Chapter 4**

Gali spun around. Standing there was Kyera, holding the other half of the fake Vahi, azure eyes gleaming evilly.

"You really gave me quite a chase," she continued. "Breaking my teleportation device, plunging us both into the time-space continuum, successfully avoiding all my attempts at tracking you down…it looks like destiny is on my side tonight though; I've cornered you at last. Now, hand over the Vahi. Both of them."

Gali glanced down for a moment at the two objects in her hand. Then she looked up at the other Toa of Water, a steely glint of resolution in her eyes. "Over my dead body."

Kyera smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Both readied their weapons. _This is it,_ Gali thought. _I'm going to do this, with or without my brothers. The fight has begun._

Both Toa circled each other, trying to find a weakness in the other's defenses. Both were experienced fighters, both knew what was at stake, and neither was willing to lose. Finally, they stopped, facing each other in an offensive position. Kyera made the first move.

"This should be interesting," she commented, taking aim. "Toa of Water against Toa of Water. Past against future. The primitive against the advance. Well, it shouldn't be too difficult to see who the victor will be."

A mighty wave unleashed itself from her sword. Gali saw it coming and flipped out of the way, watching as it hit an abandoned hut, blasting it to smithereens. She retaliated by lashing out with a water whip, a trick she had just learnt recently.

Kyera was shrewd and calculating, Gali was quick and instinctive. Both raised their weapons and their attacks hit in midair, canceling each other out. They both jumped back, and aimed again, but neither hit its intended target.

Had there been witnesses to watch this event, they would have seen two powerful Toa battling it out with one of the single most powerful elements in the world. It was a truly spectacular sight, as each of them used her cleverest of moves, her most cunning of tricks, her best of attacks.

"Do you honestly think you can defeat me?" Kyera asked, as she dodged another assault. "I studied all your moves in the ancient archives, while you know nothing of mine!"

"That may be so, but I swore to protect this island with my life, and I will not allow an evil wench like you destroy it for some stupid, selfish reason!" Gali yelled, as a geyser imploded beneath the other Toa of Water.

Kyera smirked as the attack hit her full force, ripping her to shreds. For a moment, Gali was completely horrified. Her intention had certainly not been to kill, only hurt enough to subdue.

Then she froze, as she felt the cool blade rest against her neck. Kyera was standing behind her, river sword held up to her throat.

"H-How…" Gali whispered. "My attack, it-"

"I _told_ you, you know _nothing_ of my attacks. That was a water clone, something I learnt way ahead in the future, at a time when you were already dead." Kyera said sinisterly. "Now, what was it you said to me earlier, when I asked for the Vahi? 'Over my dead body', isn't that correct?"

The Toa of Water said nothing. This was most likely the end for her, she knew. Perhaps it was her destiny to die in a dark and bleak future. If that was the case, then she certainly wasn't going to let Kyera run off with the Vahi. She would break it if she had to, even if it meant screwing up the whole world in the process. Any future was better then this.

As though reading her thoughts, Kyera applied a bit more pressure on the blade. "The Vahi, or your life. You know very well I'll do it."

Out of the corner of her eye, Gali saw what looked to be flaming arrows shooting straight towards them. Kyera must have seen it to, for she jumped out of the way. Past or future, fire was always a weakness for a Toa of Water.

Gali barely managed to pivot her body to the side as smoke engulfed her. She rolled onto the ground, gasping for breath.

"We'll finish this later, I promise." Kyera hissed, sheathing her sword and disappearing into the darkness.

Heavy footsteps approached her, as the Water Toa managed to pull herself up. The heat, it was too much…. She looked up, and saw the figure that had saved her pull two swords out of the ground. It couldn't be, the one she'd been searching for all night…

"Tahu…"

The Fire Toa turned at the sound of his name. "That's Toa to yo-" he stopped and stared, finally getting a good look at whom he had rescued.

"Tahu, is it…really you?" She asked quietly.

"Gali?" She saw the red eyes widen behind the mask, filled with shock. For a moment he just stared at her, as though seeing a ghost. Then his features hardened, as he lifted his magma swords in the offensive.

"Who are you?" He asked harshly. "Answer quickly, before I decide it isn't worth the wait!"

It was Gali's turn to look shocked. "Tahu, it's really me, Gali!"

"Gali is dead, and you've just used up the last of my patience!" He ran towards her, ready to strike, but something made him stop himself just before his weapons tore through her. She hadn't moved an inch, standing where she was, looking him straight in the eye as though certain he would not harm her. Slowly, he lowered his swords.

"You may look a lot like her, but how do I know this isn't some trick?"

"Because of this." Gali said, holding up the Great Mask of Time, and the broken piece of the teleportation device.

"Then…" he said slowly, looking from the objects to her. "You did survive. You didn't die when it broke, you were merely-"

"-Transported." Gali finished the sentence for him.

For a long moment, neither of them said anything, then Tahu sighed and shook his head. "Gali, I'd like to say we managed fine with out you, but to be honest, it's been a nightmare."

The Toa of Water gave a wry smile. "I've been feeling the same way all night."

The Fire Toa gave a laugh. It was a nice sound.

"After you disappeared," he explained. "We all assumed you'd either died, or were lost somewhere in time. After two thousand years, who would have thought we'd see you again?"

"So will you help me?" Gali asked, locking eyes with him.

"Anything to change this future." He answered.

"How touching." A voice sneered. Both turned to see Kyera standing there, river sword drawn once more. "However, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ruin the moment. It's time I took back what's mine, once and for all!"

She charged, straight at Gali, but Tahu intercepted with his magma swords. The two protodermis blades clashed against one another, as both tried to force the other back.

"Pretty…strong…for a Toa…of Water…aren't you?" Tahu managed to say between gritted teeth.

"I'm not your average Toa." Kyera replied with a smirk.

Suddenly, something whizzed by the side of her head and broke her concentration, giving Tahu the opening he needed to force her back a few steps.

"Need a hand, anyone?"

Gali looked up to see none other then the Stone Toa, climbing claws ready and aimed at the enemy.

"Pohatu?" She said, incredulous. "I thought-"

"Come now, Gali, you don't think I'd let you show up after two millennia, and just stand by as you take all the credit, now do you?" He interrupted good-naturedly. Then he became serious as he added: "I made a mistake once. I'm not going to make it again."

"A little bit less talking, brother, and a bit more helping," Tahu growled from his lock-battle with the other Toa of Water.

Before either could say or do anything, a roaring wind blew down upon them, as the Air Toa landed gracefully in their midst. "Don't quick-forget about me!"

"Lewa…!" Gali exclaimed. "But I thought you made a vow to never use your powers…"

The green Toa turned towards her. "Before that, I made a different heartpromise; that I'd always fightbattle alongside my Toabrothers and watersister. You reminded me of that tonight."

Gali smiled, feeling tears of happiness gather at the corner of her eyes.

"Brothers Pohatu, Lewa, a little help!" Tahu shouted, as Kyera slowly advanced, backing him up against the wall of an abandoned hut.

As if in response to this, the ground beneath their feet shook, and a few moments later, the Toa of Earth appeared through a hole he dug himself. "Hey, save some of the fun for me!"

"But Onua, your eyes," Gali began, but the Earth Toa waved a hand.

"Seeing isn't the only way I navigate."

She smiled, nodding her head. "Excellent, brothers, surround her!"

In a flash, Kyera was standing alone in the center of a circle. Despite this, she still managed a smirk. "You all may think you have me trapped, but you're forgetting, it's the power of six, not five, that gets the job done."

"Were you talking about me?"

She turned, and her eyes widened in fear when she saw Kopaka standing right behind her, ice blade drawn.

"Now!" Tahu cried.

"Earth!"

"Stone!"

"Fire!"

"Wind!"

"Water!"

"And Ice!"

There was a huge explosion, as all six elements hit the other Toa of Water dead on. Then a bright flash of light, and she was gone.

The other half of the transporter fell to the floor with a clatter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Some Things Never Change**

**Chapter 5**

Pohatu picked up the broken mask, handing it to Tahu. "You know what to do, brother."

The Toa of Fire nodded his head, asking Gali for the second half. She handed it to him obediently, watching as he shot a beam of fire at the crack where the two halves met, welding them shut together. Then he handed it back to Pohatu.

"Well, it isn't good as new, but it should still work." The Stone Toa joked lightly, as he fiddled around with the contraption. A beam of light shot out, growing wider and wider the farther it went. "This portal won't stay open for long, you'd better hurry."

"Say a cheerhappy hello to our pastselves," Lewa chirped.

"And don't hesitate to give us a good slap for never listening to you," Onua added.

The Toa of Water looked around at her brothers. "I will." She said quietly. She began to walk towards the opening, when Tahu stopped her by catching her arm.

"Gali," he said quietly, as he pulled her back slightly. "I just wanted to say…you were right. Water does have true power, I was too blind to see it back then."

She looked up into the eyes of the Fire Toa for a moment. Then her arm slipped out of his grasp, she was going through the portal, and with a bright flash of light, was gone.

* * *

"This will make a very nice addition to my collection," Kyera commented, admiring the craftsmanship of the Vahi. "Well, it's been fun, but I really better get going." She waved a hand in mock goodbye, the teleportation device already activating. 

"No!" Gali cried. With willpower she didn't know she possessed, she somehow managed to pivot her body forward and grab onto the fake Vahi.

"What are you doing?!" Kyera shrieked, but it was too late. A portal already opened, and in moments, both Toa of Water were swallowed up. An instant later, they were gone.

"No, Gali!" Tahu cried, as he struggled to rise. The Fire Toa's shout reverberated through the air, as the other Toa simply stared on in shock.

Slowly, they stood up. Tahu went over to where Gali had been seconds before, his eyes seeming to search the air for her. He then lifted his magma swords, and with a cry of anguish, buried them into the ground.

Before anyone could speak, there was a flash of light so bright they had to shield their eyes against it. When they could finally see again, their sister was standing there, two things clutched tightly to her chest.

"Gali!" All five of them exclaimed, rushing over.

The Toa of Water looked up at them for a minute. "Is it…really you, brothers?" She asked quietly.

"Who else would we be?" Pohatu joked, but the Toa of Water shook her head. She looked around at them all, seemingly in wonder.

"Onua…can you see me?" She asked, and the Earth Toa was taken aback somewhat.

"Of course I can see you," he assured her. "Why wouldn't I?"

Her eyes traveled over to the Air Toa. "Lewa, you can still use your powers, right?"

Slowly, the green Toa nodded his head. "There was never a thoughtreason why I shouldn't."

"Kopaka," she said quietly, locking eyes with the Ice Toa. "Do you know who I am?"

If the Toa of Ice found this question to be queer, he hid it very well. "You are Gali, our sister, and Toa of Water."

This was too much for her. She embraced Kopaka, who, needless to say, was quite startled and taken aback by this sudden show of affection.

"Hey Gali, don't I get a hug too?" Pohatu asked.

Realizing what she was doing, she immediately let go of the Ice Toa, who's expression seemed to resemble that of one who had just been run over by a stampede of Kikanalo…and had survived to tell the tale.

Turning to the Stone Toa she replied, "of course, Pohatu. That is, as long as you are Pohatu, and not Tenedin."

The Stone Toa quirked an eyebrow. "Tenedin? What the heck does that mean?"

Shaking her head, the Water Toa smiled, and embraced him as well.

"Will someone please explain what's going on?" Tahu asked, quite irate. First his sister Toa disappeared, looking more bedraggled than anyone else, and now she returns without a scratch on her. To add insult, she was asking all these strange questions and had embraced Kopaka. _Kopaka_, of all people.

"I think this is something we'd all like to know." The Ice Toa said, finally regaining the ability for speech.

Gali let go of Pohatu and smiled. "Come, brothers, let us sit down. I have had quite the adventure to share with you."

* * *

The fire burnt low, and many of the matoran had gone to sleep by the time Gali finished her tale. A heavy silence hung over the Toa Nuva, as they absorbed her words. 

"So I was…blind?" Onua asked quietly, breaking the silence at last.

"And I…I was a quisling?" Pohatu said, half horrified, half disbelieving.

"And I was some wannabe Po-Matoran?!" Lewa exclaimed indignantly. He added with great disgust and skepticism, "that _groundwalked_?!"

"What's wrong with wanting to be a Po-Matoran?" Pohatu asked mildly, turning to look at him.

"Nothing." Lewa shrugged. "If all you want to do is carvesculpt things from rockstone and other boring tasks."

"It looks like you were right about all that unity stuff," Kopaka interjected at last. "Who would have thought the future came to that."

"We certainly learnt something extremely important from Gali's journey in time." Tahu announced.

"Yeah," Lewa agreed. "Make sure not to get your mask scratchdashed, or you'll end up looking like a Turaga before you sacrificegiveup your Toapowers."

"Or, he could have been referring to the lesson on how some Toa never change." Pohatu answered smartly.

Kopaka turned to face him. "How'd you work that one out, brother? It seemed like we all changed, for good and bad."

"Oh sure, some of our masks got scratched, and we still wouldn't touch one another's wahi with a ten-foot pole," Pohatu said, waving a hand airily. "But we all came together in the end, despite what time might have done to us, and any grudges that may have been created."

"So in other words," Onua finished for him. "Despite what the future has in store for us, as long as we're still a team, and with a bit of help from Gali, we'll stay one. United we'll stand, and united we'll fall."

"Yes, except for the 'united we'll fall' part." Lewa quipped. "I don't plan on ever falling as a Toahero."

They all laughed at this. One by one, the Toa bid each other each other farewell, going back to their own Koro for the night. Gali's experience taught them all something, though they hadn't verbalized it. More than unity, the Toa of Water's experience showed them how much they needed one another, and they finally realized to what extent.

As Onua had so rightly put it, united they stand, united they fall, one leaves the team, and so do they all.

_**The End**_

Kyera ©Téa2006-2007

BIONICLE ©Lego, Greg Farshtey, and C.A. Hapka


End file.
